The Evergreen Bagworm Moth has a wingspan of about .75 to 1.50 inches. The male has a dark brown head, thorax and abdomen with black “fur” on the head and thorax. The wings are clear. The male loses most of the wing scales when he emerges from the pupal case. The female is flightless and spends her life in her pupal case.
This moth is common in Fontenelle Forest and Neale Woods. Several were seen and photographed at artificial lights at Neale Woods in mid-September. The males fly from August to October. The larval and pupal cases can be seen hanging in trees and shrubs. The one shown here was found in a Swamp White Oak in the FFNC parking lot in mid- May.
The males insert their abdomens into the female’s case to mate with her. Females lay eggs inside their own cases. The eggs overwinter and after hatching the larvae disperse and begin forming new cases or bags. The Ichneumon wasp, Itoplectis conquisitor, is a predator of the Evergreen Bagworm Moth.
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